Lyr Req: Truckin' My Blues Away (Blind Boy Fuller)

Subject: Lyr Req: Fuller's Truckin' My Blues Away
From: Mark-o
Date: 20 Oct 14 - 05:40 PM

Hi all

Has anyone been able to decipher the third line from Blind Boy Fuller's 1936 recording of "Truckin' My Blues Away"?

Here's what I've gleaned after a zillion hearings:

I got a gal here in this town, the best looking brown around
I got a gal in this town, the best looking brown around
She's (a ?? ?? to meet ya???) ain't no hand me down
Catch you truckin' with 'em, gonna (sure shoot you down?)

Keep on truckin' mama, truckin' my blues away,
Trucking my blues away

Al the other verses are clear.

Thanks!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Fuller's Truckin' My Blues Away
From: Mark-o
Date: 20 Oct 14 - 05:55 PM

Never mind, found what I was looking for here:

http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=408.0

The correct first verse is

I got a gal here in this town, the best looking brown around
I got a gal in this town, the best looking brown around
She's strictly tailor made ain't no hand me down
Catch you truckin' with 'em, gonna sure shoot you down

Keep on truckin' mama, truckin' my blues away,
Trucking my blues away

Onward!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Fuller's Truckin' My Blues Away
From: GUEST,#
Date: 21 Oct 14 - 07:56 AM

http://www.humpnightthumpers.com/songs/Truckin'%20My%20Blues%20Away.pdf

Subject: Lyr Add: TRUCKIN' MY BLUES AWAY (Blind Boy Fuller)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 21 Oct 14 - 09:37 PM

Fuller recorded 2 versions. This is the first:


TRUCKIN' MY BLUES AWAY (3:08)
As sung by Blind Boy Fuller on "Blind Boy Fuller: Complete Recorded Works in Chronological Order, Vol. 1, 1935-1936" (Document Records, DOCD-5091)

1. I got a gal here in this town, the best-lookin' brown around.
I got a gal in this town, the best-lookin' brown around.
    She's a strictly tailor-made; she ain't no hand-me-down.
    Catch you truckin' with 'em, gwina sure shoot [you] down.
Keep on truckin', mama, truckin' my blues away, truckin' my blues away.

2. Keep on truckin', mama, truckin' my blues away.
Keep on truckin', mama, 'til you truck my blues away.
    I got a gal; she's little and neat.
    When she starts a-truckin', man, it's so sweet.
Keep on truckin', mama, truckin' my blues away, truckin' my blues away.

3. Keep on truckin', baby, truckin' my blues away, yeah!
Keep on truckin', baby, truckin' my blues away.
    I know a gal; she's long and tall.
    When she starts truckin', make a little man squall.
Keep on truckin', mama, truckin' my blues away, I mean, truckin' my blues away, yeah!

4. Keep on truckin', baby, truckin' my blues away.
Keep on truckin', mama, truckin' my blues away.
    She does the dance you call beedle-um-bum.
    Sure miss somethin' if you don't truck some.
Keep on truckin', mama, truckin' my blues away, truckin' my blues away.

5. Keep on truckin', baby, truckin' my blues away.
Keep on truckin', mama, truckin' my blues away, yeah!
    You don't have to hurry; you don't have to go.
    Wait a little while; might wanna truck some mo'.
Keep on truckin', baby, truckin' my blues away, truckin' my blues away.

6. Keep on truckin', mama, truckin' my blues away, yeah!
Keep on truckin', baby, truckin' my blues away.
    Make a lame man run; make a blind man see.
    Sure gets good when she's truckin' with me.
Keep on truckin', baby, truckin' my blues away.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Truckin' My Blues Away (Blind Boy Fuller)
From: Joe_F
Date: 21 Oct 14 - 10:41 PM

Here's a verse I heard in highschool, no doubt distorted by 60 years of forgetfulness:

Keep on truckin', mama, truckin' the blues away.
Keep on truckin', mama, truckin' till the break of day.
    You can take me anywhere, show me anything,
    But just let go of my hairy ding.
Keep on, etc.

Subject: Lyr Add: TRUCKIN' MY BLUES AWAY NO. 2 (Fuller)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 21 Oct 14 - 10:49 PM

TRUCKIN' MY BLUES AWAY, NO. 2 (2:56)
As sung by Blind Boy Fuller on "A Cryin' Shame" and "The Blues Effect"

1. Keep on truckin', baby, truckin' both night and day.
Keep on truckin', mama, truckin' my blues away.
    Reckon what the elephant said to the cat:
    "Got a belly full o' hair an' I'm tight like that."
Keep on truckin', baby, truckin' my blues away, I mean,
Truckin' my blues away, yeah!

2. Keep on truckin', mama, truckin' my blues away.
Keep on truckin', baby, truckin' both night and day.
    Reckon what the elephant said to the bear:
    "Pull off your wig an' let me see your nat'ral hair."
Keep on truckin', baby, truckin' my blues away, I mean,
Truckin' my blues away, yeah!

3. [First 4 lines are scat.]
Keep on truckin', mama, truckin' my blues away, I mean,
Truckin' my blues away, yeah!

4. Keep on truckin', baby, truckin' both night and day.
Keep on truckin', baby, truckin' both night and day.
    [Middle 2 lines are scat.]
Keep on truckin', baby, truckin' my blues away, I mean,
Truckin' my blues away.

5. Keep on truckin', mama, truckin' both night and day.
Keep on truckin', baby, truckin' my blues away.
    Said the rooster chewed tobacco, hen dipped snuff.
    Biddy can't dip it, he can strut his stuff.
Keep on truckin', mama, truckin' my blues away, I mean,
Truckin' my blues away, yeah!

6. Keep on truckin', mama, truckin' both night and day.
Keep on truckin', mama, truckin' my blues away.
    The little brown rooster said t' the little red hen:
    "Meet me down 't the barnyard 'bout half past ten."
Says, keep on truckin', mama, truckin' my blues away, tellin' you,
Truckin' my blues away.

7. Keep on truckin', mama, truckin' both night and day, yeah!
Keep on truckin', mama, says truckin' my blues away.
    Come on, gal, and let's go 'cross town.
    Place over there, we can get drunk and clown.
Now, keep on truckin', I tell you, truckin' my blues away, hear me talkin',
Truckin' my blues away.

[There is yet another recording called TRUCKIN' MY BLUES AWAY, NO. 2, which appears on a compilation called "Legends of the Blues, Vol. 1." Lyrics are nearly the same as those above, but in a different order.]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Truckin' My Blues Away (Blind Boy Fuller)
From: Amos
Date: 22 Oct 14 - 01:27 AM

From oral tradition:

Keep on truckin', mama, says truckin' my blues away.
Keep on truckin', mama, trucking all the goshdarned day
You cando what you do, say what you say
But when it comes down to doing it, there's only one way
Keep on truckin', mama, says truckin' my blues away.

My man's a deep sea diver, he goes down so long (2x)
He goes down like a good man oughter
When he comes around it ain't with water
My man's a deep sea diver, he goes down so long.

Keep that black snake off me, it's cold and clammy to the touch (2x)
Mama, mama, don't you realize
Black snake b'longs between your thighs
Keep that black snake off me, it's cold and clammy to the touch

Now what's that smells like fishes? Tell you if you really want to know (2x)
It ain't sardines, don't come in a can
It's what every woman wants from every man
Now what's that smells like fishes? Tell you if you really want to know

You can lick it if you like but don't you dare bite it, even if you want it bad (2c)
With a popcorn man you got to throw him around
But if you want my nuts don't put me down
You can lick it if you like but don't you dare bite it, even if you want it bad

Collected from bad-boy colleagues in New England ca. 1959

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Truckin' My Blues Away (Blind Boy Fuller)
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 22 Oct 14 - 10:23 PM

Here's the way Hot Tuna sang it:

Well now keep on truckin' mama, truckin' my blues away
Keep on truckin' mama, truckin' my blues away
Here you come mama big as sin, tell what you been doin' by the shape you're in
So keep on truckin' mama, truckin' my blues away

If you been doin' what I think you been doin' baby, can't do that 'round here
You been doin' what I think you been doin' baby, can't do that 'round here
Here you come mam big as hell, tell what you been doin' by way you smell
So keep on truckin' mama, truckin' my blues away

What's that smell like fish pretty baby, I really would like to know
Tell me What's that smell like fish oh mama, I really would like to know
That ain't puddin' baby ain't no pie, it's the stuff that I got you by
So keep on truckin' mama, truckin' my blues away

Now yes you gotta leave this mornin', get your yas yas outta my door
Now yes you gotta leave this mornin', get your yas yas outta my door
Ashes to ashes mama, dust to dust, what-cha gonna do when that damn thing rusts
So keep on truckin' mama, truckin' my blues away

It appears Hot Tuna got their name from an answer to the question,
"What's that smell like fish oh mama" in the 3rd stanza of this song.